Moving from WI to So. Cal - suggestions on family friendly safe cities? (Los Angeles: renting)

[niknak1]

Hi-
My husband is being relocated to Southern Ca. We are looking to move out there around July/August, and currently in the process of looking at potential cities, along the coast, and inland, from San Diego county to LA. Hoping people may have some insight into these cities. We are in our 30's and have a 16mo. old baby, and a dog. Being near the coast would be our preference, but we're open to inland as long as the city is fitting for us. We're looking for something fun with things we can do w/and w/o the baby, and a place that is safe enough to raise a family. I've heard that it's not just about finding the right city in CA, but the right neighborhood, as you can't judge a city the same way out there as you can in Milwaukee. We are going to start out renting and hopefully 1-2 years in we will know if we can call Ca home permanently.
Any feedback on the following would be great:
Carlsbad
Costa Mesa/Mission Viejo/Lake Forest
Claremont/La Verne/Glendora/San Dimas/Azusa
Riverside/Corona
Lake Elsinore/Murrieta/Temecula

I've heard mixed reviews on Riverside, good things on Claremont and Glendora. Don't know a lot about the rest. My husband will work out of our home and I will need to find new employment.

Thanks.

[riadkins]

All the cities you posted are all pretty good. Carlsbad, I love it, it's a little beach community in north san diego county, i used to go surfing there when I was in high school. Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo and lakeforest, the orange county cities are nice as well, Costa Mesa and Mission Viejo are right there on the beach. Only problem is, orange county is a little bit more expensive then the inland communities but usually the jobs compensate for that. Most people out here commute to work anyway so freeways are TERRIBLY PACKED!! but you'll discover that. I live in that Riverside/Corona area and I like, it seems like it's 20-30 minutes away from everything, close to LA, close to Orange, close to San Diego, and it's nice. But All of these cities you listed are really nice, but like every city, there are bad parts, bad neighborhoods but you'll notice them, it'll be obvious.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by niknak1

Hi-
My husband is being relocated to Southern Ca.
My husband will work out of our home

If he works out of the home then why are you moving? If he needs to be in SoCal then where does he need to be near?
What is your housing budget?

Out of all those cities I know Mission Viejo has lots of family amenities, is safe, has good schools and is a family orientated place. It would certainly rise to the top of that list though Claremont/La Verne/Glendora/San Dimas/Azusa could also be good too, I don't know much about them.
A lot of south orange county from Irvine south has good schools and is very master planned, family oriented, safe, etc. Some people might not like that master planned, predictable look but there is such a variance in neighborhoods that not all homes in any one tract are necessarily cookie cutter. So does northern San Diego County: Poway, Scripps Ranch, Rancho Penasquitos, and Black Mountain. If I were you (and I sort of am), I would be looking there though it depends on budget. If you want to be closer to the beach then the price goes way up.

Other places in south Orange County are Rancho Santa Margarita, Ladera Ranch, Laguna Niguel, Dana Point, and Aliso Viejo. There are others. These towns generally have newer construction and with that higher Mello Roos "taxes" and generally HOAs.

Also the price goes up on the northern side of south OC, for example Irvine is more expensive per square foot than MV, RSM, Coto, LR, and LN. Irvine has outstanding schools.

To pin point your search, you might want to visit and post on the Orange County, San Diego and Los Angeles forums.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by niknak1

Any feedback on the following would be great...I've heard mixed reviews on Riverside.... Don't know a lot about the rest.

Good idea to start out renting. Wisconsin is so beautiful! So Riverside/Corona would be a huge disappointment after living where you live. And avoid Azusa; the public schools rank at the bottom of the state. The rest of the cities you've chosen look fine.

[niknak1]

Thank you for the info. It really is helpful in trying to narrow down our search of cities that would work best for us.
I should've clarified more on my husband's work situation. His office will be out of our home, but he will be driving to see customers a couple days a week(various locations), so travel will be a part of his job, but it will not be an everday commute. CA is his territory and it's hard to have face to face time w/o being in the area..or state I on the otherhand will need to find new employment, so finding a job that isn't a hour drive each way would be nice. Plus, we will need to find good daycare. Do either of you know average daycare rates out there?

I appreciate your posts, and will try posting to the more specific areas as you suggested.
Thanks.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by niknak1

Thank you for the info. It really is helpful in trying to narrow down our search of cities that would work best for us.
I should've clarified more on my husband's work situation. His office will be out of our home, but he will be driving to see customers a couple days a week(various locations), so travel will be a part of his job, but it will not be an everday commute. CA is his territory and it's hard to have face to face time w/o being in the area..or state I on the otherhand will need to find new employment, so finding a job that isn't a hour drive each way would be nice. Plus, we will need to find good daycare. Do either of you know average daycare rates out there?

I appreciate your posts, and will try posting to the more specific areas as you suggested.
Thanks.

Do you work in a specific industry? What are you looking for? Some industries may be clustered in some places.

[Fontucky]

Don't rule out San Clemente. That gives you your near the beach, safe and good schools, and you have the choice of the cookie cutter master planned parts or the older neighborhoods west of the highway that don't have the HOA crap and the mass produced look.

[callienscott]

I was in exactly your place two years ago. We moved here from Michigan, not knowing California at all. My husband and I both are rep.s, who travel from Bakersfield to San Diego. We lucked out because our son got into the Academy of Perfoming Arts High School and it forced us to a great location, Huntington Beach. It is a good starting location to learn about California and the people in Orange County. This location turns out to be perfect to travel north and south with little traffic during the day.

Costa Mesa and Newport are way too expensive for what they offer, too many young, 20s-30s, single scene. But, being near the John Wayne airport is a Great idea. And, this area has more job opportunities than most. Irvine is "stuffy" and too spread out. North Tustin, Lake Forest , Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, San Clemente and Laguna Niguel have the best family oriented activities/schools. You do need to know the "good" areas in each city, though. Going south, I love Temecula and Carlsbad, again you need to know where the good areas are. Temecula is not the place to find a job, but the housing is less expensive. Also, remember that nothing beats the weather near the coast. Going inland to Lake Forest or Temecula will raise the temp 10+ degrees midday.

We have done a ton of research, have kids, and are in the building industry. Ask me anything. But, you do need to spend 2-3 long weekends here to Really see what works for your family.